Goemkarponn desk
MARGAO: Tough fight between the former MLAs and new political entrants is on the cards in the Nuvem constituency.
Political analysts say that the chances are there that the votes against D’Sa may get divided among other candidates, indirectly benefitting D’Sa this election.
Zarina Da’Cunha, a local from Nuvem village, opined that there has been no development, but destruction has taken the place of the serene and beautiful village of Nuvem.
“In the Nuvem constituency, not many issues about development has been solved. This time, people will vote for the candidate with a clean and educated background,” he said.
He said the former MLA Wilfred D’sa did not vote against the three linear projects when the people of his constituency wanted him to oppose these projects. Instead, he gave a reason to be bound by the party whip.
Another person from the Nuvem constituency Francky Monteiro opined that this time, Wilfred D’sa won this election cannot be ruled out because votes that will go against D’sa for the other candidates such as Jose Cabral, Alex Sequeira, Mickey Pacheco will get divided which will make him victorious.
“We do not know why Alex Sequeira has come again from a slumber of 10 years. Last time, Mickey Pacheco was rejected by the people of Nuvem. Pacheco had also expressed that he would contest in Benaulim on Congress but then jumped into NCP and contested in Nuvem, which people won’t accept,” he said.
He says Jose Raju Cabral just entered into activism one year ahead and immediately came into politics to try his luck.
“In some villages such as Loutolim etc., people don’t even know Cabral. All these candidates will spill the anti-D’Sa votes,” he said.
Charles, from Loutolim, said that he feels that people might this time vote for Dr Mariano Godinho of AAP, considering his work towards society and clean character.
“People are now looking for educated, helpful and clean candidates who could give good governance to the people. Although it would be difficult to say who would win this time because three former MLAs will contest in Nuvem,” he stated.
Nuvem constituency consists of Loutolim, Nuvem, Nagoa, Verna, Utorda, Majorda, Calata, Betalbatim and Rassaim villages. Most of these villages are yet to see the necessary development promised for a long time.
In 2017, Wilfred D’sa won on Congress ticket by defeating Mickey Pacheco of Goa Su-Raj Party with 5660 votes. D’Sa then got 9967 votes, and Pacheco got 4307 votes. Mariano Godinho, at that time, stood third and got 3389 votes. In 2012, Mickey Pacheco was MLA of Nuvem, which won on Goa Vikas Party by defeating Congress candidate Alex Sequeira.
Once again, three former MLAs of Congress, NCP and Independent, are in the fray to try their luck.
There are other candidates in this race, such as Jose Raju Cabral Datta Borkar of BJP, who are also trying to fetch votes from the people of Nuvem constituency, which is minority-dominated area.
